Fri Jan 17 03:49:15 UTC 2025: ## Indian National Sentenced to Eight Years for Attempted White House Attack
**Washington, D.C. –** Sai Varshith Kandula, a 20-year-old Indian national, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday for attempting to attack the White House with a rented U-Haul truck in May 2023. Kandula, a lawful permanent U.S. resident, pleaded guilty last year to charges of willful injury or depredation of U.S. property. He will also serve three years of supervised release.
According to the Department of Justice, Kandula’s attack was motivated by a desire to overthrow the U.S. government and establish a Nazi-fueled dictatorship. He admitted to investigators that he would have killed the President and others if necessary to achieve his goal. His actions caused approximately $4,322 in damage to White House barriers.
On the evening of May 22, 2023, Kandula drove the U-Haul onto a sidewalk, sending pedestrians scattering before crashing into security barriers at Lafayette Square. He then displayed a Nazi swastika flag from his backpack. US Park Police and Secret Service officers apprehended him at the scene.
Court documents reveal that Kandula planned the attack for weeks, making multiple unsuccessful attempts to acquire both large vehicles and armed security personnel to aid in his scheme. He flew from St. Louis to Washington D.C. on a one-way ticket, rented the truck, and carried out the attack within hours.
The sentencing concludes a case that highlights the serious threat of politically motivated violence.
First Piper 